Yeah, locally, the fox population seems to be on the rise. I see them everywhere, from the grounds outside @ work (Mercer County, NJ) to my backyard in montgomery county, Wissahickon, High Rocks, Blue Marsh. Kind of cool, 'cos I've lived in this area for most of my life and don't recall seeing nearly as many growing up as I have in the last two years or so.

Re: those woodpeckers - the big ones are called pileated woodpeckers, and I have noticed more of them lately, too.

.. it's interesting that fox populations are rising. Back in Dallas, Coyotes were on the rise. I lived in the same house for the first 18 years of my life and never saw a Coyote in Dallas until just a year ago when I saw about 8 in about 18 months. Including 1 in the backyard of the house I grew up with. I had never even heard of a Coyote in Dallas until recently.

Maybe it's development. I've always thought foxes and coyotes both to be pretty scared of people. Maybe they're getting used to people. Who knows.